Keeping Depression and Anxiety at bay is something many struggle to do, especially me. No matter how good of a day we want to have, those dark stormy clouds still come rolling in.
As many of you know I was diagnosed with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety close to a year after I had our second daughter Iyla (you can read about it here).
If you remember, I was taking antidepressants to help initially and then decided I wanted to just try to cope without medication. There is nothing wrong with taking antidepressants and I don’t regret taking them. I just felt like I was gaining a lot of weight and wanted to try and thrive without them.
I have been working on my mental health now for a year and can usually pinpoint my triggers and solutions to help keep the storm clouds away. These are the 5 ways I help my depression and anxiety which no doubt has heightened with the pandemic as I am sure yours may have as well.
Journaling
I absolutely love journaling. I also like to call it a brain dump. It’s been a few years now that I have been journaling and I still enjoy it. Preferably I would recommend getting into the habit of doing it daily in the morning or if you want to do it in the evening as well that’s an option.
I have to say that there are times when I do not journal as routinely as I should and that has been a goal of mine this year.
Journal/Brain Dump EVERY DAY!!
Whenever I talk to friends that are feeling overwhelmed, overthinking, insomnia, depressed or anxious, this is always a recommendation to them. Put a pen to paper and just write what is going on in your mind. Don’t even think deeply about it, just write out what is in your mind as it comes up and let the pen flow.
Immediately after I finish journaling my mind feels so much clearer and less anxious.
Physical activity
Doing something to move your body isn’t only helpful for your physical being but it’s great for the mind. I’m not saying you have to go out and do a HIIT workout (although those are definitely helpful). It can be as easy as going on a walk. As long as you are moving your body and getting some sort of exercise.
From personal experience I notice that if I do not work out I am in such a bad mood and nothing seems to be going right especially my mindset. The minute I finish a workout I feel 1000x better than I did before.
Just last week I was having a rough day trying to balance all the tasks that are required of me and Daniel knew it. He was working out after he got home from work and came inside to ask if I wanted to go and workout with him. I didn’t really feel like it because my mindset was already tanked for the entire day. BUT I got up and complained my way through getting in my workout gear. Once I finished I felt so much better and was so thankful he noticed I was struggling and knew what I needed to feel better.
CBD
Taking CBD has been a saving grace. For a while I was an insomniac mess until I started taking the Hugs Wellness Night Cap CBD Tincture.
I like to say that it’s like a tranquilizer for me but in a good way haha. I worked graveyards for a few years and I still feel like the schedule haunts me sometimes. It’s natural for me to be more productive at night than in the morning so I definitely needed something to help put me down.
That being said, CBD is also very helpful with treating depression and anxiety. Not only to I have the nighttime tincture, I also have the daytime one as well for those moments I begin to feel anxious during the day.
Highly recommend!
Practicing Mindfulness
In a time when you have a storm cloud over your head frequently causing you to think negatively, it is extremely important to practice mindfulness.
What does this mean? You must CHOOSE to be mindful about how you are feeling in that moment and counter your thoughts with what you are grateful for in that moment, what is something good that is happening, etc.
Being able to change your mindset is a HUGE part of being mindful and seeing the positive and the gratitude in situations you feel are causing you negative feelings.
Regular Mental Health/Self care days
This is one of my favorite coping mechanisms fo my depression and anxiety. Take a full day to really focus on YOU!
When I take mental health days, I like to clean up my house because I truly believe a clean home is a clear mind. I also like to just go about my day doing what I WANT to do rather than what I HAVE to do.
I usually take a mental health day from work 1-2 times a month just to make sure I don’t burn myself out.
Putting all these tips into practice has helped my depression tremendously. I tend to notice I have such better days when I am mindfully aware of what my mind is needing. If any of you need to talk or want to know any more details just reach out to me! Talk soon!
